Suction cleaner



July 21, 1936. -J. L. RAY

SUCTION CLEANER 7 Filed June: 9, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet i 1 a 3 m) t z:Ioqeph I). Buy

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' SUCTION CLEANER Filed June 9, 1934 WWweu July 1, 1936. J L, AY2,048,518

SUCTION CLEANER Filed June 9, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gvwc/whmv Joseph L.Ray WiVfledb:

W 7 WW Patented July 21, 1936 SUCTION diLEANER i I. v Joseph L. Bay, NewYork; N.'='Y., as'sign'or to The Singer Manufacturing; 'Company,;.Elizabeth, N. J a corporation of NewJersey Application June 9, 1934,Serial Ni). 72iiifi4ii I 3 .Claims.

This invention relates to suction cleaners of the type embodying amotor-driven suction-fan and fan-casing supported on wheels andhavin'g aforwardly extending suction mouth or nozzle and anupwardly andrearwardly extending handle whereby the machine may be propelled overthe floor or floor-covering to be cleaned.

In floor cleaners 'of the type in question it is customary to providefor theraising and lowering oft-he suction' 'nozzle relative to thefloor surface or covering to be operated upon, by the incorporsnonor-mean's for vertically adjusting the axis ofone or more of thesupporting wheels relative to the frame or "casing of the machine.

Floor coverings vary considerably in thickness and texture and, for theeificient cleaning thereof, it is desirable that the height of thesuctionnozzle of the cleaner be adjusted to suit the particular floorcovering being operated upon.

" In moving the cleaner about from one iio'o'r covering to another.there may be need for adjustment of the nozzle height and unless thisad- -3 stment be made quickly and conveniently, "it is likely to beneglected, witha resulting IO SS eificiency the operation of themachine.

The} present invention has for an object vto prance means for adjustingthe nozzle height of a suction cleaner which may be so conveniently and-i' uickly operated to secure any desired adjustment, as to materiallyreduce the likelihood of its being neglected by the user in the normalday-by-day use of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device that anydesired adjustment may be instantly made by a single and quicklyexecuted movement of an adjusting knob or handle, without the necessityof prior or subsequent manual operation of clamping or holding devicesfor maintaining the adjustment against displacement while the cleaner isin use.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear,the invention comprises the devices, combinations, and arrangements ofparts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawingsof a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the severalfeatures of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a suctioncleaner embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of therearwardly disposed wheeled truck for supporting the cleaner. Fig. 3 isa section on the line 33, Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale. Figs. 4 and 5are,

respectively, sections on the lines 44 and 5 :5, Fig... 2. Fig. 6 is asectional view through the ad'- Il'listing "deyice a plane at rightangles to the pramiorme section shownin Fig. 3. Fig. '7 is 'adisassembled perspective view 'of the guide, '5

screw andvroliower elements of the adjusting device; Fig. '8 is adisassembled perspective view of the handle and yielding detent elementsof the device. Fi'gf'9 is a side elevation of the screwv element alone,and Fig. to is a disassembled er- 1'0 isfpectiveview of thebea'riii'g.fplat'e for the rearwardIy disposed wheeled truck of thecleaner.

In the preferred embodiment of the inventi'on illusti 'atedfthere is. ainain body or frame I including a motor-driven suction-fan 2 andfanhaving a forwardly projecting and downanaesthetics-nozzles} mouth 4.The main body .i is supported in from by thei'f rwardIy disposed fiair'of wheels 5 and in rear by the pair of wheels 6. The usual prope linghandle 1 is pivoted to the 2'0 body 1 at a and s dust-bag efis connectedto the 'd t-dis'charge "outlet 10 of the suction-fan casing 3.

" The forwardly disposed wheels 5 are journaled on assessment butcoaxial i bearing studs i I. at

iiriderj's'ideofthebodyjl. The rearwardlydispo 1d greens are liquinale don apivoted truck rinsing stained. and offset ends I2 carried bytiierase-"sins 12* 6f a pivot-shaft 13 which is journaled in the groovedbearing plate I4 screwed to the under side of the body I. The alined andoffset ends [2 of the pivot-shaft I3 are parallel to the pivotal axis ofsuch shaft and are off-set to the rear of such pivotal axis. The bearingplate I4 has in its shaft-receiving groove I 5 a central pocket 16 inwhich is disposed a rubber block I! which presses the shoe I8 againstthe shaft l3 with sufiicient pressure to frictionally hold the shaftagainst turning in the bearing plate when the cleaner is lifted from thefloor for any reason. 7

Projecting from one side of the main body or frame I, adjacent thedust-discharge outlet i0, is a vertically bored lug [9 in which is fixeda cylindrical bushing 20 having the diametrically opposed verticalguide-slots 2| extending straightaway longitudinally of such bushing.

Rotatably mounted in the guide bushing 20 is the tubular screw-member 22having a flange 23 at its lower end, a central hole 24, a reduced neck25, and a pair of diametrically opposed screw-slots 26 extendingspirally upwardly from the lower end of such screw-member andterminating in the end-stop walls 21.

The screwa slots 26lhave a steep pitch whichin the present instance isabout 33. V

Slidablyfitted in'the hole 24 in the tubular screw-member 22 isagscrew-followerrrod 28 in which is fixed the screw-follower cross-pin29 which extends laterally in opposite directions from the rod 28through the 'spiralscrew-slots 26 in the member 22 and has reducedterminal 7 portions 30 on which are journaled antic-friction rollers 3|received'in the guide-slots 2| 'in thebushing 20.

A manually operated adjusting handle 32 is fixedly secured tothe'reduced neck 25 ofthe screw-element 22. A spring-pressed 'detent in"the form of a ball 33' is housed in the handle :32 and is urgeddownwardly by the spring 34 tures39, Figs. 3

ing the rear wheels 6;

bushing 20."

and pressure-head 35' upon the circular detent plate 36 having acircular series of detent holes 31 therein and a pair of downwardlystruck positioning lugs 38 which enter positioning aperand 7, in theuppersend of the It will be observed that the lower end of the followerrod 28'is roundedand bears upononer of the crank-arms I2 .01 the pivotedtruck carry- By' a swiftly executed motion of thelhandle 32thejope'rator may infstantly raise or lower the rear end of the body lrelative to theaxis of they rear wheels 6, there by lowering or raisingthe nozzle 4 from the surface being operated upon; The motion of thehandle 32 in a" counterclockwise direction [to r V elevate the 'nozzle'4is limited by engagement of 1 the rollers 3| with the end-stop .walls.2710f the screw-slots, The motion of thejhandlej32inithei reversedirection is limited by engagementf'with the frame casing adjacent thedust-discharge (outlet 10. The" extreme range of motion of the handle 32coveringthe full range of adjustment 'of the nozzle 4, isless thanpnecompleterevoluti on; being in; the present instance about 190. "Thus thedesiredadjustmentmay be" very easily and quickly effected. rFurthe'rmoreby combining the spring-pressed; detent 33, 36 with the steeply pitchedscrew 22,-the adjustment is automatically held against' displacement:notwithstanding the tendency of the reverse or 'reactionary pressure ofthe rod 28 upon the screw 22 to turn the latter, yet the adjustment maybe instantly changed without the necessity of manipulating specialadjustment holding nuts;

screws or the like, prior'and subsequent to the actualadjusting'operationpA spring 40 is preferably disposed in the hole 24 inthe screw-element 22 between the upper end of the rod 28 and the handle32 to partially offset or counter,

balance the upward thrust on the rod 28 by the underlying crank-arm I2of thepivoted truck.

Having thus set forth the nature of'the invention, what I claim hereini51 .1. An adjusting device fora vacuum-cleaner support comprising,amain body, a bushing fixed in said main body and having a guide-slot'extending longitudinallythereof; a spirally slotted *tubular'adjusting'screw journaled in saidbushing, a screw follower rod slidablelongitudinally of and within said tubular screw, and a screw-i followerprojecting laterally from said rod through I the spiral slot in saidtubular screw and into the longitudinal guide-slot in saidbushing; saidffollower rod being adapted t0: sustain the. up-

ward thrustof avacuum cleanergsupport.

2.An adjusting device'for a vacuumcleanen supportcomprising, a mainbody; a cylindrical bushing fixed in said main body andhaving a pair ofdiametrically opposed guide-slots therein extending straightawaylongitudinally thereof, a

slots therein extending: spirally longitudinally thereof; and. afollower rod slidablelong itudlnally tubular member journaled'inlisaidbushing and having azpair'of diametrically 'opposedfscrewo ofand withinsaidtubular'vmember, a cross-pin screw slots and intofsa'id guide-slots,said .f olhired in said rod and, extending through saidf lower rod'beingadapted 'tofsustain theupward thrust of a vacuum cleanerfsupport. V j,3. An adjusting device for a vacuum cleaner support comprising a bodyhaving a cylindrical bearing aperture "and aguideway in, thew'all ofsuch aperture, a' spirally slotted tubular adj'usting screw journaled insaid aperture -agscrew E follower rod slidable longitudinally'ofandwithin said tubular screw, and a screw-follower proj ecting laterally 7from said follower-rod through said screwand into saidfguideway, saidfollowerrod being adapted to sustain the upward thrust .of ava uum cl ar lp o g I QJOSEPHL.

